ESN – that’s not only about meeting new Erasmus students and getting your Erasmus ENCORE. It’s first and foremost a student volunteering organisation with a vision to enrich the society through international students. ESN is the key volunteer student organization in international higher education in Europe. We provide opportunities for cultural understanding and self-development under the principle of student helping students.

In order to fulfil such a brave vision, a well-functioning and well-structured organisation is necessary. To ensure this, we hold several meetings – national platforms – with the aim to choose a National Board, our National Coordinators, and last but not least to provide our active members with new information and strategy, to help them grow intellectually and to motivate them to work towards the goals of our organisation.

ESN Slovakia has held its last National Platform on May 5 - 8 in Banská Bystrica. And it was the best one I attented! Ten sections took part in the conference with a wonderfully crafted theme: #AllYouNeedIsLove and #HippieVibes. Flowers, colours and the best 60s music were not the only highlights of the weekend, however!

Events such as NPs always have a teambuilding power, strengthening the relationships among members and providing them with new information on the most interesting topics – education, mobility, sustainability and much more. While some days were filled with plenary sessions, candidacies and voting procedures, others were spent on workshops and presentations.

Non-formal education being the main means of learning, workshops on time management, crisis management, health and fundraising were held by older ESNers, but also by people from the international committees as well as people from our partner organisation, AIESEC.

This may sound as if we spent the entire four days closed inside a bulding, which isn’t true! We also got the chance to get to know the city. Our wonderful organisation committee came up with an exciting city game, which not only forced us to walked around the city for hours but also taught us about the Hippie Movement and ESN AISBL.

All in all, I am thankful to my section for allowing me to be one of the participants, thankful to the OC for creating such a memorable platform, and thankful to ESN Slovakia for changing people’s lives – like mine – at home. Just as mobility changed lives abroad.

To have amazing friends and experiences like this one, do not hesitate and find your local ESN section now! Join the movement and remember: #MobilityIsALifestyle.

 

Article by Timea Krauszová